DESCRIPTION

Released in 1985, Phantasie is a multi-character role-playing game that expands on the concepts developed in Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord and Ultima. Offering more combat options than its predecessors, what the game sacrifices in graphics it somewhat gains back in more diverse gameplay. Selecting from various races and professions, your party of adventurers sets forth to explore a series of dungeons where you discover the usual supply of runes and rings necessary to complete your quest. The action isn't particularly quick, and it can take a while to develop your characters to the point that they can survive productive encounters. Nonetheless, this was one of the better RPGs of the mid-'80s, though it was quickly surpassed by later releases, including the sequels to Wizardry and Ultima. There were two sequels to Phantasie, neither of which were a significant improvement over the original, and a 1990 retro-packaging (Phantasie: Bonus Edition) that failed to revive much interest in the series. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Game Guide